Newbie Question Color Fix

[christo]

I have a number (247) of images similar to the one attached. The sky needs to be blue (no problem with Clara's technique), but need to have the ground a sand color. I am still learning PhotoShop, so if you could be real specific in your answeres it would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,

[Cameraken]

Hi Christo.

This image is a little small, however it matters not.

Add a levels adjustment layer
Click the black point on the spectator’s hair
Click the white point on the lightest part of the pitch
Click the grey point on the shadow of the baseball player

I also added a hue/sat layer to boost saturation (+ 48) and then sharpened.

Hope this helps.

Ken.

[mistermonday]

If you have PS CS or CS2 just go Image > Adjust > Match Color When the dialog box comes up, check the Neutralize box and click ok. No need to make any other adjustments.
Regards, Murray

[Daviskw]

Not exactly automatic but sometimes it is easier ... and looks better....to set up and save a gradient map with sandlot colors and apply when necessary. then just a few seconds of masking fixes things up.

I searched the net and found an appropriate sandlot baseball picture.

With the eyedropper I choose a light color in the dirt, then switching the foreground background colors I choose another color, a dark color dirt.

So now I have two colors of dirt a light and dark in the foreground /background color boxes.

I switch back to your picture and opened a gradient adjustment layer. If the field is too dark click the reverse box on the gradient map dialog box. This colored the whole picture so I pressed <Ctrl>< I> to hide the gradient. Then I chose a white soft brush, clicked on the mask and painted the dirt field in. I did not worry about the small players.

When I had the field in I switched the foreground to black and a small brush I painted the small players back in.


Butch

[Flora]

Hi,

Match Color exactly as Murray has explained,

one Color Balance Adjustment Layer

one Selective Colors Adjustment Layer.

[Cameraken]

Match Color.
That’s great and will work well for Christo if there are 247 to do.
I don’t have CS and was always under the impression that match color was to match one image to another.

Does anyone know how it works?

If you match color with just one image does it compare to neutral like this
http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/?m=show&id=54


Ken.

[palomino]

I think the match color function is meant to match one photo to another, but it also has that handy little "neutralize" check box that seeks out color casts and helps you figure out what to do. Sometimes when you check neutralize it goes overboard, but if you fade it down, you will be able to pick out when it looks "right". Good luck.

-Kate

[philbach]

I switched over to lab and after applying levels increased the Saturation.

[Cameraken]

Match Color.

Thank you Kate. I did not realise there was a neutralise checkbox. I just tried Doug’s tutorial on this (Resampling to 1x1 pixel) and got similar results to Flora’s picture. So it looks like it is doing something similar.

Ken.

[Flora]

Hi,

Ken,

From PS' help file ... The Match Color command

The Match Color command matches colors between multiple images, between multiple layers, or between multiple color selections. It also lets you adjust the colors in an image by changing the luminance, changing the color range, and neutralizing a color cast.

The Match Color command works only in RGB mode.
When you use the Match Color command, the pointer becomes the Eyedropper tool. Use the Eyedropper tool while adjusting the image to view the color pixel values in the Info palette. This palette gives you feedback about changes in color values as you use the Match Color command. See To view color values in an image.

The Match Color command matches the colors in one image (the source image) with those in another image (the target image). This is useful when you’re trying to make the colors in different photos consistent, or when certain colors (such as skin tones) in one image must match the colors in another image.
In addition to matching the color between two images, the Match Color command can match the color between different layers in the same image.

[Cameraken]

Thank You Flora.

This looks like another job for FilterMeister.

Ken.

[christo]

Thanks for all the tips. Unfortunately I am still working with PS 7. Is there anything similar there to the Image > Adjust > Match Color?

[Flora]

Originally Posted by Cameraken

This looks like another job for FilterMeister.

.... I'll have to leave that to the 'brainy' ones ....

[Flora]

Christo,

as you have surely understood from my answer to Ken, I haven't got a clue about what goes on behind the 'Match Color' Command ... I only know that it usually works!!!

What I can do is show you alternative ways to get there with any PS version which allows Adjustment Layers...

The first is described in this Tutorial .. even though it really works best with very strong colour casts ...

Another one is the 'Set Grey, (White, Black) Point, described here by Gary, which is one I still use a lot... It works both with Levels and Curves and it consists in finding the points in a picture which are commonly known to be Grey, White or Black ... Sometimes it's a matter of trial and error, but, usually, Grey could be the shadowy part of a building or darkish shadows anyway ... Black could be the pupils of the eyes ... etc.

Before doing anything, though, you should read this post with the tip from Katrin Eismann's book for setting Black and White Targets!

All these methods, however, change all the colours in the image (and, when using the 'Set White, Black Point', the contrast as well) ... even the colours you would like to keep from the original ... so, when this happens, either create a Layer Mask for your correction Layer, or use the Layer Mask which comes with the Levels/Curves Adjustment Layer and, with a Black Brush (starting from 20-30% Opacity) gradually paint over the parts you wish to restore to the 'original' colour.

The other alternatives I can think of are specific Colour Corrections by Hue/Saturation, Selective Colors and Color Balance.

Hope this helps ...

[Flora]

OOOOoooooooooppppppsssssss... I'm going to be executed on the spot ...

I forgot to mention the cast removal by numbers, by changing to L*A*B* and acting on the a and b channels only leaving the luminosity of the image unaltered, the Apply Image Adjustment, and probably a couple of hundred more possible methods ...